Before leaving, Hu Xiaotian had Liang Yinghao and Xiong Tianba stay behind. Their martial prowess would keep the guards in check for the time being, preventing them from forcing the refugees back onto the boats. Looking at the battered vessels in Xiasha Port, he feared many would be overturned by the raging waves before they even made it halfway back. In fact, several boats had already sunk during this period, claiming the lives of as many as a thousand refugees, and the terrible situation continued unabated.
Li Chengming accompanied Hu Xiaotian to the government offices. The prefectural residence had also been left behind by Great Yong. It was a sizable complex, but its gates were deserted, with hardly anyone coming or going. On the way, Li Chengming explained that his authority in Eastern Liang Commandery existed in name only. Apart from a handful of civil officials under him, he could command no one.
The people actually running Eastern Liang Commandery were a few wealthy local merchants. Their leader, Hu Zhongyang, was a renowned shipping merchant who had owned more than two hundred merchant vessels of various sizes at the height of his prosperity. After Eastern Liang Commandery returned to Great Kang, he had drastically reduced his shipping operations, though he still had over fifty vessels. It had also been his idea to gather funds from the city's wealthy merchants and establish the Guard Corps. In fact, before Eastern Liang Commandery returned to Great Kang, most of its wealthy merchants had already moved to Great Yong. Those who remained were mostly reluctant to leave their native soil, though a considerable number also believed Great Yong would certainly reclaim Eastern Liang Commandery before long.
Hu Xiaotian could not spare the time to settle in. He told Li Chengming to invite the leading